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New Starbucks policy allows non-customers to sit in cafes

Starbucks announced Saturday that it is enacting a new policy to allow people — even non-paying customers — to sit in its cafes and use its restrooms, Associated Press reports.

The change comes weeks after two black men, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks location because they hadn’t bought anything.

A viral video of Nelson and Robinson being escorted out of the Philadelphia coffee shop sparked uproar online, prompting many to call for a nationwide boycott of the coffee chain and protests outside of the location where the two men were arrested.

Previous policies allowed store managers to use discretion when deciding whether people could sit in the store without making a purchase, executives have said.

Starbucks workers are now instructed to view anyone who walks into its stores as a customer, “regardless of whether they make a purchase.”

However, AP reported that employees are still instructed to call the police if they view a safety threat.